5 years later
by HaloEssence111
Summary: It's five years in the future, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders have changed a lot over the years. Sweetie Belle is living with Rarity while her parents are traveling abroad. Apple Bloom is working her hardest to keep her family and farm from falling apart. Scootaloo now lives with Rainbow Dash ever since the tragedy that happened one year ago.


div class="title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: #bbbbbb; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.5em; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; color: #333333;"  
>div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 26.6666679382324px; font-family: inherit; display: inline-block;"a id="chapter_title" class="story_name resize_text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-family: 'Open Sans Condensed', Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; cursor: pointer;" href=" story211974/1/5-years-later/chapter-one-the-news-regarding-scootaloo" data-max-height="60" data-start-size="1.2" data-minimum-size="0.8"Chapter One: The News regarding Scootaloo/a/div  
>div  
>div class="chapter_content" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.8em; text-align: justify; min-height: 500px; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333;"<br>div class="inner_margin" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 46em;"  
>div id="chapter_container" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Chapter Onestrong/span/centerbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"BRRIIINNGG-strong/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Ugh.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"A groggy Sweetie Belle looked distastefully at her alarm clock, which was now ringing violently, threatening to jump off her bedside table. Using her magic, Sweetie threw the clock across her room, slamming right onto a forgotten poster of DJ pon-3, adding yet another tear to the ancient sheet of paper. The ear-shattering ringing stopped.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Finally,emSweetie style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Now, where was I.../emBut before she could drift back to dreamland, a purple-maned unicorn burst through the door. "Sweetie Belle, you simplyem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"must/emget up, it's your first day, remember?"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Groan/emthought Sweetie Belle, before using her magic to throw a pillow at her sister. "SLEEEP..." Sweetie moaned, rather arrogantly. "SLEEEP..."/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Sweetie Belle, if you aren't at the breakfast table in 5 minutes, then I swear, I will PERSONALLY drag you to the school withem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"my bare hooves.emUnderstand?" Rarity's lecture was rewarded with a pillow to the face. "Oooooh...", seethed Rarity, " That filly..." as she stomped angrily to the kitchen. Sweetie looked style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"She's gone./emthought Sweetie Belle, easing herself back into her comforter. But try as she might, she couldn't fall back asleep. " Oh, screw it all!" Sweetie mumbled, as she tromped out of bed. "May as well get up, got nothing better to do." She walked grudgingly over towards her vanity. Sweet Celestia, was her mane a wreck. And she could go shopping with the bags under her eyes. Using her magic, Sweetie brushed her mane and tail, applied her makeup, and filled her saddlebags with the textbooks she had been assigned that year. She looked in the mirror of her vanity./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Perfect.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""SWEETIE BELLE! DON"T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Great. Just strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Great.strong/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""What?! I'm coming!" Sweetie shouted. She clopped down the stairs, finding Rarity levitating a stack of pancakes on her place setting, complete with garnish. Sweetie Belle sat down and began shoveling the food into her mouth as if she hadn't eaten in days. Her plate was suddenly whisked away."Young Mare, youem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"willemremember your manners, especially when you are eating in the company of another!" "Yeah, whatever." was Sweetie's blunt reply, but regretting it after she saw Rarity's face began to turn scarlet with rage. To Sweetie's surprise, however, was that the redness was toning down to a faint coral, and her sister was speaking calmly to Sweetie, choosing her words carefully. "Sweetie, darling, I believe that I need to tell you something that, frankly, I don't believe you'll like very much." Sweetie Belle stopped gulping down her orange juice to stare at Rarity./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Silence.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Very uncomfortable silence.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Rarity..."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Yes, darling?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Did you sign me up for the classical music course again?" Her voice was deathly serious. Rarity knew that Sweetie Belle had hated the classes Octavia taught at the academy.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""That's not what I wanted to tell you, darling."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Then WHAT?!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Sweetie Belle, dear, I'm quite afraid that your friend Scootaloo will not be attending this year."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""What? WHY?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Well...I'm not completely sure myself, dear. All I know is that it has something to do with her parent's...loss."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh...that..." Sweetie Belle then went quiet, staring at the polished wood table.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""And Sweetie, darling..." Rarity said, pausing for a moment.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""What?" Sweetie's voice sounded rather exasperated, as if daring Rarity to deliver anymore bad news.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""I hope you like the Voice lessons at the academy."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"*Gasp* "THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUYOURTHEBESTSISTEREVERstrong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"THANKYOU!strong/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie galloped out of the Boutique, an irreversible grin spread across her face.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"At least she stopped whining about it.emthought Rarity as she cleared Sweetie Belle's place./p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie Belle was walking on air as she trotted to Sweet Apple style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"I can't believe it! She finally signed the permission slip!emthought Sweetie style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"This is the best day of my life!/emHer joy was so great, that Sweetie didn't realize that she was dancing./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"In the middle of Main Street.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"WHERE EVERYPONY COULD SEE HER.strong/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"However, she was snapped out of her daze when a bright orange pegasus with a pair of mechanical wings slammed on top of her for a crash landing. "Hey, watch where your- Scoots? What are you doing here?" Scootaloo stood up and brushed herself off, then looked at style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Her expression,emthought Sweetie style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Why is it changing?/emFor Scootaloo was acting very strangely. At first she seemed shocked, then guilty./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"At last, she finally managed a weak smile. "Oh! Uh...Hey, Belle! What's up?" asked Scootaloo, nervously. But before Sweetie Belle could answer, she was interrupted by a swift reply from Scootaloo. "Well, gotta go! Things to do, Ponies to see! Heheheh...Bye!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"But before she could zoom off, Sweetie grabbed hold of Scootaloo's tail with her magic. "Scootaloo! What isem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"wrongemwith you? Why are you acting so...weird?!" Sweetie Belle levitated Scootaloo to the ground. "Fess up, Scootaloo. Tell me EXACTLY what is going on." /p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"An awkward silence resulted.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""WELL?!" said Sweetie, bitterly. "Talk!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Scootaloo sighed. "Do youem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"reallyemwant to know?"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""YES!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Fine...you remember the...accident, right?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Uh huh..." said Sweetie Belle, suspiciously. "What about it?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Well...ever since then, I've been helping out Rainbow Dash a lot, and she's teaching me how to be a good weather helper. And last week, she..." Scootaloo trailed off after that.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""What? Scootaloo, just tell me!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Rainbow Dash offered me a job, okay!" choked Scootaloo. "And I accepted!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Scoots, that's great! Isn't that, like, what you've always wanted? To work alongside Rainbow Dash?...Scoots? Are you okay?" For Scootaloo had gone silent, her eyes brimming with tears. "Sc -Scoots?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Scootaloo muttered something indecipherable. "Sorry, didn't catch that. What did you say?" asked Sweetie Belle.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""I said I dropped out, okay?!" Scootaloo roared. " I couldn't stand it there! The kids were jerks, everypony thought I just plain dumb, a-and it would only remind me of..." Scootaloo choked out, unable to say those last words.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh..." mumbled Sweetie, remembering her conversation with Rarity.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""I-i have to go, okay?" said Scootaloo, supressing tears. "I'll see you around, Sweetie Belle." But before Sweetie could answer, Scootaloo zoomed off, nothing but an orange dot in the clouds. And this time, Sweetie didn't try to stop her.p  
>div  
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>div  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>div class="title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: #bbbbbb; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.5em; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; color: #333333;"<br>div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 26.6666679382324px; font-family: inherit; display: inline-block;"a id="chapter_title" class="story_name resize_text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-family: 'Open Sans Condensed', Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; cursor: pointer;" href=" story/211974/3/5-years-later/chapter-three-rememberings" data-max-height="60" data-start-size="1.2" data-minimum-size="0.8"Chapter Three: Rememberings/a/div  
>div  
>div class="chapter_content" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.8em; text-align: justify; min-height: 500px; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333;"<br>div class="inner_margin" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 46em;"  
>div id="chapter_container" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"<br>p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 3em;" /p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"Chapter Threespan/strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"   
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Scootaloo looked down for a moment strongfrom her work in the clouds. Ponyville civilians were going about their daily routine, going to market, chatting with friends, looking very annoyed...em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Wait, what?!/em thought Scootaloo, poking her head out of the fluffy white cloud she was supposed to be clearing away. Looking down, she saw running frantically, a small yellow earth pony, accompanied by a snow-white unicorn. em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Is it?/em Scootaloo thought. em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"No, it couldn't be... but then why are they running into the Academ.../em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Scootaloo stopped herself before she could linger anymore on the subject.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"No. Don't think. Just do. strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Don't remember it...strong/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Remember...em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Everything had been perfect. She had been spending the day with Rainbow Dash, perfecting her scooter technique and racing with her idol, scooter to wings. Rainbow even offered to help her finish constructing the mechanical wings that Scoots had been working on for months. Scootaloo couldn't ever remember a time when she was happier.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"But it was too good to be true.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"After Rainbow Dash had dropped Scootaloo off at her house, an eerie feeling of dread washed over her. Where were Mom and Dad?Asleep, maybe. But it was only 5pm...em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Without warning, a hard knock sounded at the door. strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Now who could that be?strong thought Scootaloo, unsure if she wanted to know. She opened it, revealing a dark blue stallion with a grief-stricken expression./em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""Who are you?" Scoots asked, tentatively.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""I'm with the Ponyville police department, miss." was the stallion's gruff reply. "I-I've come to inform you about the recent flight accident that occurred a few hours ago." em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""What accident? asked Scootaloo, wondering why he was telling her this. "Is everyone okay?"em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""I'm sorry to say, miss, that that is not the case. Several pegasi were gravely injured, including..."em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Don't say it, don't say it, PLEASE don't say it...strong/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""...your mother and father."em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"No.strong/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"No No No No No...strong/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""Is this some kind of cruel joke?" Scootaloo asked, her voice gravely quiet.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""I wish it was, miss."em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""Where are they?"em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""I'm afraid I-"em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""WHERE ARE MY PARENTS?! strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"TELL ME!strong screamed Scootaloo, eyes blazing, her face white as a sheet./em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"The stallion sighed dejectedly, hanging his head. "Y-your parents are at the hospital, miss, but-"em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""But what?! Tell me, PLEASE!"em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""I'm sorry, miss, but your parents are dead."em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"The flashback changed, switching to her parent's funeral. Scootaloo was dressed in black, standing over their coffins.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to grieve the loss of the cherished, yet deceased..."em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Scootaloo wasn't listening. All she could process was that her parents were gone, dead. Lying in ebony coffins, to be lowered into the earth. The cold, hard winter earth...em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Her vision was blurred with tears. As the pastor finished his speech and blessing, he gestured to Scootaloo to close the coffin, to finish the job.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"As Scootaloo stepped forward, her hoof reaching towards the lid of the coffin her parents shared, she had to force herself not burst into the tears she had been holding back since the vile news had been delivered.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"But when Scootaloo closed the lid, hearing the small click of the lock, she realized that she, herself, had officially locked her parents out of her life. Never again would she hear her mother's jovial voice, or snuggle into her father's warm hide. Never again would they smile at her, say they loved her, then would pull her into a warm embrace.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Have I been a good filly?strong thought Scootaloo. strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Did I say 'please', and 'thank you'? Did I tell my parents that I loved them? Did I say-/strong/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Then Scootaloo realized something; she never had the chance to say goodbye to her parents before they died.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"As she thought about all this, the dam holding her tears was finally broken, releasing all the emotion she had kept inside for so long.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""Mommy! Daddy! Come back! strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"PLEASE!strong" Scootaloo cried, throwing herself over the casket. "Please, wake up!"/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Over and over again Scootaloo moaned for her parents to wake, much to the dismay of the other funeral-goers.em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""Please, wake up, mom and dad! strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"WAKE UP!strong"/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Wake up...em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Come on, kid, wake up! SNAP OUT OF IT!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"A cyan pegasus stood over her, gently slapping Scootaloo's face with her hoof, telling her to get up. Suddenly, Scootaloo jolted forward, nearly knocking into Rainbow Dash.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""It's happening! It's happening again! Make it stop, strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"pleasestrong,make it stop..."/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""It's okay, Scoots, it's okay...it didn't happen...nothing happened..." Rainbow held Scootaloo, allowing her to sob all over her shoulder.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Rainbow Dash...Rainbow Dash..."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""It's okay, Scootaloo, you're safe now...you're home..."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"I am?em thought Scootaloo, looking around. It appeared as though Rainbow had taken Scootaloo to her home in the clouds./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Rainbow Dash, did you-"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Yeah, I did. And you gave me a pretty bad scare up there, Scoots. After you blacked out, you fell off the cloudp  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"you were on. Lucky for you that I looked over there when you fell, or else you definitely wouldn't have been so lucky."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Th-thank you..." sniffed Scootaloo, looking into Rainbow's deep fuchsia eyes.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""No problem, little sis. Just...don't do it again, okay?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Okay, Rainbow Dash. But..." Scootaloo began to choke up again, her eyes like faucets waiting to be turned on, to let her emotions flow free.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Yeah, kid?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""(sniff) W-why did em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"theyem have to die? Why em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"my/em parents?"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Well...I'm really not sure, Scoots. These things just have to happen, I guess."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""But why to em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"them?em Why not some other kid's parents?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Scootaloo wished to take them back./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Listen, Scootaloo. What you just said is em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"not okay.em Just because you're going through this, that doesn't mean that another kid deserves to. Got that?"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"But when Rainbow Dash looked down on Scootaloo's guilty face, her eyes streaming with tears, Rainbow's heart melted, causing her to pull Scootaloo into a tight embrace.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""It's okay, kid...let it out..let it all out.."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"So Scootaloo did, sobbing on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. Rainbow soon followed suit, weeping softly onto Scootaloo's cheek.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>div  
>div  
>div  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>div class="title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: #bbbbbb; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.5em; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; color: #333333;"<br>div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 26.6666679382324px; font-family: inherit; display: inline-block;"a id="chapter_title" class="story_name resize_text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-family: 'Open Sans Condensed', Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; cursor: pointer;" href=" story/211974/4/5-years-later/chapter-four-salt-in-my-wounds" data-max-height="60" data-start-size="1.2" data-minimum-size="0.8"Chapter Four: Salt in my wounds/a/div  
>div  
>div class="chapter_content" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.8em; text-align: justify; min-height: 500px; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333;"<br>div class="inner_margin" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 46em;"  
>div id="chapter_container" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"Chapter Fourspan/strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""That was a pretty good speech, huh, Sweetie Belle?"strong/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie's head jerked upward, revealing a once-thoughtful expression. "What? Uh..Oh yeah! The speech! It was...okay, I guess." Then she emerged back into the deep thought that she was in before. At first, Apple Bloom looked suspiciously towards Sweetie, but she shrugged it off, thinking it was nothing.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom continued to chatter on as she and Sweetie Belle walked towards the the front desk to pick up their class schedules. When they finally came to the desk, they were greeted by aa style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit; color: #507e2c; cursor: pointer;" href=" . _cb20120305223203/mlp/images/3/35/Fluttershy_%22Excuse_me%22_ " rel="nofollow"off-white unicorn with an orange, poodle-like mane/atyping away on her typewriter, a recent pony invention. The mare was so involved with her work of writing and transporting memos, she didn't notice the girls until Apple Bloom cleared her throat in an unmistakable manner. "Oh!" cried the unicorn, jerking her head upward. "Sorry, dears. Didn't notice you there. What can I do for you?"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Um, how about giving us our class schedules?" Sweetie asked in a rather arrogant manner.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh! Yes...one minute..." the mare bent down to her file cabinet, rummaging through all sorts of junk in that manner.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"After a time, the mare shot up again, but this time with two small envelopes encased in her aura. "Here you go, dears." She handed Sweetie and Apple Bloom the envelopes.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Thank ya kindly, ma'm." said Apple Bloom.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Anytime, girls."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trotted away, continuing to talk. They were so engrossed by their conversation, they didn't notice a certain pink earth pony and her silver-maned companion sashaying in their direction, a malicious grin on the pink one's face.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Well HEY,em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"losersem." said Diamond Tiara. "Long time, no see."/p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom stormed down the hall to her first class of the day, Sweetie Belle trotting along to keep up.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Bloom, what wasem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"thatemall about?" asked Sweetie, an imploring expression residing on her face./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom pressed forward, forcing back tears of anger. She had never received such horrible treatment from anyone, verbal or physical, before Diamond Tiara came along. Even now, a whole five years after the Cutesenyara where it all began, Diamond was still causing her to regret her very existence.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom looked up into Sweetie's light green eyes, her own orange ones glittering with angry tears.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Sweetie Belle...ya jus' don't understand." fumed Apple Bloom, looking as if she were about to erupt into flames.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh yes I do, Apple Bloom." Sweetie replied huffily. "Those jerks made fun of me too, remember?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom stared at the floor, incapable of answering.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Apple Bloom..." Sweetie started. But just then, the bell rang, causing them to jump and instinctively canter towards their first class. Apple Bloom found this as a good excuse to change the subject.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""S-so..." she puffed, fruitlessly trying to catch her breath as she sprinted down the hall. "What's our next class?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie Belle looked down at the two schedules encased in her aura. "em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"huff, puff..emum...Homeroom...Room 13C..."/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom looked horrified. "But that's way up on the third floor, Sweetie!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""I know," Sweetie panted. "That's why..I've been practicing...this trick that...Twilight taught me...it's called...group teleportation..."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom skidded to a halt. "em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"What?!emIf that's so, Sweetie Belle, then try it!em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Now!/em"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie Belle then stopped, walked towards Apple Bloom, and rested her horn on Apple Bloom's forehead. She muttered an incantation, screwing her face up in concentration. The aura on her horn sparked, then flickered, then finally ignited. A few more moments of furious muttering later, Apple Bloom felt a freezing trickle down her spine, and then one flash of blinding green light later, and they were in front of Room 13C. Apple Bloom was extremely dizzy, and felt rather nauseous, too. p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Sweetie Belle..." said Apple Bloom shakily. "Are you trahyin taem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"killemme?!"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie laughed. " Of course not. I got nauseous too on my first try at teleportation. You'll get used to it."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Nixt tahm, let's jus' take the stairs."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie laughed, then glanced at the clock. She let out a yelp. "Apple Bloom! Enough chitchat! Class is starting in justem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"two sec-em"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"They were interrupted by the deafening ring of the school bell.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh, fer the love a..." grumbled Apple Bloom, grasping the knob of the door.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"But when they opened it, Twenty-nine pairs of eyes pierced them as they burst through the door.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Well, hello girls. How nice of you to join us." said a drolling voice from the front of the room. The mare it belonged to was a pegasus, bearing a light brown in color, with a yellowish brown mane tied in a low bun. on her face was a small, black-rimmed pair of spectacles, and the most bored expression Apple Bloom had ever seen.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stood in front of the door fixedly, unsure of what to do next.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Well, aren't you going to sit down?" asked the mare. "There are some seats right over there."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Their teacher pointed to two empty seats in the middle of the classroom, right next to some certain filly's,one pink, one silver. the pink one, sitting on the right, was grinning an evil grin. A chill went down Apple Bloom's style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"No..emthought Bloom, her heart beating style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Not them. Anypony but them./em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""C'mon, Apple Bloom,em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"sit down!em" said Sweetie Belle in a hushed voice. "Everypony's staring at us!"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Yes Apple Bloom", said Diamond, grinning wickedly. "Sit down. We wouldn't want to hold up the class". Next to her, Silver Spoon giggled nervously, looking anywhere but at Diamond Tiara.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom managed to walk shakily towards her seat, the one farthest away from Diamond.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Apple Bloom, come sit next toem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"meem.(giggle) I won't bite!" But judging from the villainous look that Diamond was sending her, it seemed to Apple Bloom that that was exactly what she wanted to do./p  
>div  
>div  
>div  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;" p  
>div class="title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: #bbbbbb; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.5em; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; color: #333333;"<br>div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 26.6666679382324px; font-family: inherit; display: inline-block;"a id="chapter_title" class="story_name resize_text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-family: 'Open Sans Condensed', Arial, sans-serif; color: #333333; cursor: pointer;" href=" story/211974/5/5-years-later/chapter-five-first-is-the-worst" data-max-height="60" data-start-size="1.2" data-minimum-size="0.8"Chapter Five: First is the Worst/a/div  
>div  
>div class="chapter_content" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 20px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: serif; line-height: 1.8em; text-align: justify; min-height: 500px; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333;"<br>div class="inner_margin" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 46em;"  
>div id="chapter_container" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"Chapter Fivespan/strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Apple Bloom was staring at the chalkboard,strongwaiting, wishing that class would end so that she and Sweetie Bell could escape the seemingly endless pokes and giggles from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon./p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Suddenly, the bell rang and Homeroom was declared over, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rocketed out of the classroom faster than should have been possible. Once they were a safe distance away from the whispers and snickers of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, they finally stopped to catch their breath.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Ah-ah think that we're far enough now..." said Apple Bloom, breathing heavily.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Y-yeah.." Sweetie replied.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Once they had rested up a bit and each gotten some water from a nearby drinking fountain, they decided to trade schedules.p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3em;"Class Schedule for Apple Bloomspan/stronghr style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dddddd; border: 0px; background-color: #dddddd;" /  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Homeroom Rm 13C Ms. Droll Inkblotp  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Econ. 101 Rm 7B Mr. Digit Figurep  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Woodshop Rm 3A Mr. Timber Oakp  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Adv. Design Rm 5A Ms. Sketchy Penp  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Lunch Cafeteria p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Equestrian History Rm 13C Ms. Droll Inkblotp  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Intermediate Baking Rm 14A Ms. Bon Bonp  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Gym Gymnasium Coach Pigskinp  
>centerbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3em;"Class Schedule for Sweetie Belle/span/strong/centerhr style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dddddd; border: 0px; background-color: #dddddd;" /center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Homeroom Rm 13C Ms. Droll Inkblot p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Voice Rm 23A Miss Fluttershy/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Econ. 101 Rm 7B Mr. Digit Figurep  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Adv. Magic Rm 11D Headmistress Sparklep  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Lunch Cafeteriap  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Equestrian History Rm 13C Ms. Droll Inkblotp  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Contemporary Music Rm 9A Miss Vinyl Scratchp  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Intermediate Choreography Rm 12A Ms. Two-Stepp  
>centerbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Cool! So we got some classes together!" said Apple Bloom. "Lunch, Homeroom, and History!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Speaking of classes, we'd better get to ours." said Sweetie Belle, looking over at the clock. "We're gonna be late again!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"They exchanged goodbyes, then each rushed off to their classes.p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"And thus began one of the worst first-day-of-schools Apple Bloom had ever experienced.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Much to her dismay,(and a certain somepony's delight) she discovered that she shared not just one, butem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"fouremclasses with Diamond Tiara- Homeroom, Econ.101, Equestrian History, and Lunch. (Silver Spoon wasn't in Econ. She had been moved up to the Adv. Algebra course.)/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"On the bright side, however, there were one or two things about the she (relatively) enjoyed about the day. Design, for example. Apple Bloom found that she was actually very gifted at the art of "creative expression" (plus it was fun.). And Lunch was okay, too. At least then she had Sweetie Belle to talk to, even though she knew that Diamond Tiara was gossiping about her only a couple of tables away.p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"And then there was the not-so-bright side.p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom had never really been very good at math, so Econ.101 was a nightmare. Not to mention that her history teacher didn't even show up at all (they had the Vice-Principal come in and sub.). And Baking...oh, baking... Bon Bon looked as if she was going to faint when she saw Apple Bloom's disastrous attempt at brownies. But at least she wasn't screaming like Coach Pigskin during gym. His face was such a deep shade of crimson that Apple Bloom had mistaken his head for a red delicious.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"All in all,emthought Apple Bloom, panting as she trotted the extra lap around the school Coach had assigned style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Today really sucks./em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom could hear the bell ringing from inside the school. She stopped running and began trudging towards the school doors.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""HEY, YOU! KID WITH THE BOW! WHERE DO YOU THINK strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"YOU'REstrong GOING?!"/em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom stole one last, yearning glance at the doors and-p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""HEY KID, YOU'RE NOT FINISHED YET!"em/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"-sprinted away from Coach as fast as equinely possible.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""HEY! Hspan style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3em;"Espanspan style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0.5em; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3em;"Y!"/span/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Success.em/p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"BRRRINNNGGG...strong/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Through the gigantic wave of students, Apple Bloom managed to poke herself through the crowd and meet Sweetie Belle at the picnic tables. There she found Sweetie Belle holding hoofs with a brown earth pony colt wearing a rather strange looking beanie atop his reddish-brown mane. "Hey, Sweetie. Hey, Button Mash. What's up?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh! Uh, hey Apple Bloom!" replied a blushing Button Mash, glancing at Sweetie.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh, come off it, Button. Everypony knows that y'all are an item. Quit actin' like ya aren't."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Button Mash blushed, then looked down, grinning wildly.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie Belle smirked playfully, then grabbed him to steal a kiss on the lips.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"After she let him go, Apple Bloom grabbed Sweetie's arm and yanked her away from her seat on the picnic table. "C'mon, lil' miss heartthrob. It's tahm ta go on home."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie Belle trotted after Apple Bloom, calling behind her, "Bye, Button! See you tomorrow!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"All Button Mash could do was sit there, beaming avidly and gazing at his sweetheart.p  
>center style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"***strong/center  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Sweetie Belle, what do you see in him?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie whirled around and stared suspiciously at Apple Bloom. "What do you mean, 'what do I see in him'?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom sighed then said, "What ah mean is, why are y'all so crazy about each other?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"The only reply that she got out of Sweetie was an awkward silence.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Not that there's anything wrong with him," Apple Bloom said hurriedly. "It's jus'..."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Just what?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""...nuthin'. N'er mahnd ah said anythang."p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Silence.p  
>p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Very uncomfortable silence.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""So!" said Sweetie Belle as the Apple house came into view."How's Granny?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh, she's doing great." Bloom replied, glad for an excuse to get off the subject. "She's really bin improvin' late-"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"THE CAKE IS A LIE! A LIE!em/strong"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie looked at Apple Bloom. "You were saying?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"But before Bloom could answer, more shouting came from the upstairs of the farm house.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3em;""No, Granny, the cake is not a lie, it's your favorite not to mention I slaved all afternoon o'er-spanHey, HEY! YOU PUT THAT DOW-" *em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"SPLAT/em*/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""GRANNY! YOU GIT O'ER HER-"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"AIN'T NOPONY GOT TIME FER THAT!strong/em"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom watched as Granny opened the window "oh no, not again... GRANNY, GET DOWN FROM THERE!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie watched in horror as Granny belly flopped out the window ("I really should have worded that better", said an exasperated Apple Bloom.), and landed in a bale of hay that she later learned had been put there for that very reason.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Applejack popped her cake-splattered head out the open window and shouted at Granny, "Granny, why in Equestria did ya jus' jump out th' window?"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"" 'em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Because ah'm HAPPY...em' "/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Applejack turned towards Sweetie Belle, who was looking horror-struck at the scene she beheld.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Sweetie Belle, why don't 'cha go on inside an' have a cookie or something. Granny will be all rounded up an' put in the loony bin real soon."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Sweetie went pale.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Applejack laughed. "Oh, ah'm jus' pullin' yer hoof, style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0.5em; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3em;"(Hopefully...)span"/p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""N-n-no thanks, A-applejack," Sweetie Belle stuttered, looking nervously towards Granny. "I-i think I'll just be going now..."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Well, if thats how ya feel." shrugged Applejack.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Oh, c'mon, Sweetie Belle! This is the best part!"p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Apple Bloom, you hush."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Ah..."p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Apple Bloom noticed that Sweetie was starting to back away slowly.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Ah guess ah'll see ya tomorrow, Sweetie Belle." said Apple Bloom.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""OKSEEYOULATERBYE!"Sweetie squeaked, then ran off to the Carousel Boutique.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;"Applejack and Apple Bloom watched in confusion as Sweetie Belle ran off.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Your friend Sweetie sure is an odd one." said Applejack.p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit;""Not usually." said Bloom. "Dunno what got into her today. Couldn't be Granny. She's the sweetest old lady in Equestria!p  
>p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 17.7777786254883px; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"strong***strong/p  
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